Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare
by magicalyoyo
Summary: Adrien is kidnapped by a valkyrie, chases butterflies and brings Chat Noir and Ladybug closer than they've ever been to victory - or defeat. Crossposted to ao3 under the same username. Content warning for violence.
1. Chapter 1

"Sir, I have to object-"

"My decision is final, Nathalie, and I will not tolerate your disrespect!"

"Monsieur Agreste, I simply mean to say-"

"ENOUGH. I will _not_ jeopardize my son's safety so he can waste time with his friends. If you have forgotten the recent burglary, allow me to remind you of the risk - which I have been against _from the beginning_ \- posed by hours every day in an unsecured public school!"

" _You're_ going to destroy him! Maybe you didn't notice how miserable he was before, because you didn't see him at all! Locking Adrien up for a theft that may not have occurred at all is cruel and unreasonable, and I will not participate in this!" Her voice, normally quiet and composed, rose to an angry shout.

Silence. Adrien counted his breaths, forcing his knees not to drop to the cold marble floor. _One... Two... Three..._

"That will be all, Nathalie. I expect you to make the necessary arrangements this afternoon. If you cannot fulfill your job requirements, I expect you to remove your personal items from the office by tonight."

Another pause.

"Yes, _sir_ ," Nathalie replied, her voice now cool and hard.

Adrien, whose ear had been pressed against the wall, straining to hear, crouched behind the pillar as the double doors leading to his father's office swung open, and he heard soft, measured steps as the assistant's heels clicked against the tiles and stopped in the middle of the hall. A muffled gasp - a sob? - broke through the silence, followed by jarring snaps of wood against stone as Nathalie ran from the room.

The boy stood frozen, leaning against the pillar as he tried to process what just happened. Adrien couldn't believe his father's assistant had yelled at Gabriel Agreste to his face, risked her job… and for him. To keep him in school, with his friends. To make him happy. Not that it had made any difference, in the end, other than adding another casualty as a result of his mistake.

"Hey, kid. We knew this might happen, and it could have been worse - at least we erased the security video. Which, I might add, you still owe me for." Plagg's voice cut through Adrien's shock, pulling him back to the present. The present, in which he was crouched outside his father's office, eavesdropping.

Gathering his thoughts, Adrien pushed Plagg back into his pocket and murmured, "Yeah, dad doesn't know I took the book, and he didn't see you. But he knows it was stolen - I was hoping maybe he'd think he misplaced it. Now they're going to keep me penned up and probably hire three more Gorillas. There's no way I'll be able to get out to help Ladybug. And Nino's not going to take this well."

Plagg sighed, but couldn't deny the grimness of the situation. It wasn't Nino he was worried about not taking it well. Adrien's face was pale as they slipped back to his room… He should have known better than to simply try to distract Adrien from the book. Cats were curious. Plagg knew that as well as anyone. But the kwami had let his charge take it anyway, and lose it, and now… Well. He watched the boy collapse onto his bed like a puppet whose strings had been cut. One side effect of becoming Chat Noir was an increased need for sleep, which, combined with late nights and near-daily battles, resulted in Adrien falling unconscious whenever pressure built up too much.

 _Stress naps._ The kwami was constantly bemused by humans, but it was reassuring that he was working with one who made at least _some_ sense. Plagg longed to curl up under the warm covers, but someone had to start planning damage control. For ten, fifteen, forty minutes he thought and restlessly floated around the large bedroom.

Where they would be for a long, long time… unless they came up with a scheme immediately.

As if on cue, a scream split the air.

Ok, 'immediately' could wait a bit.

Adrien bolted out of bed as a second shriek echoed through the mansion. Plagg barely had time to slip into the pocket sewn into the boy's white overshirt before they were out the door and running directly towards the source of the disruption.

"Shouldn't you _transform_ or something?" Plagg hissed.

"Not yet! We don't know if it's an akuma. Besides, wouldn't it be a little suspicious to have Chat Noir pop out of my bedroom? I need to see what's going on firs-" Adrien cut off mid-word as he skidded to a halt on the landing, peering around the balustrade.

There was a… Valkyrie?

She sat astride a huge gray horse – a huge _winged_ gray horse - in the center of the entrance hall, paying no heed to the hysterical housekeeper huddled in a far corner. A sword was strapped to her hip.

" _Je suis La Défenseure!_ Gabriel Agreste, come forth!" She turned towards Adrien as she yelled her challenge into the cavernous hall, revealing a familiar face.

" _Nathalie?"_

Adrien assessed the situation. " _Three_ akumas, dad's gonna beat Chloé at this rate." He began to inch backwards, eyeing the door to his right. It was in La Défenseure's line of sight, but if he got a good start he could be through it before she could move –

 _It was a good plan,_ he thought, feet dangling as she lifted him by his collar. She had moved faster than he had expected, launching herself off the horse to land in front of the large double doors, snatching him off the floor with one hand. Nathalie's akumatized form continued pulling him upwards through the air until his eyes were level with hers, and he flinched, preparing himself for whatever violence she was about to inflict.

Instead, she smiled gently, and flung him over her shoulder.

"Don't fear, Adrien. I will not let you be imprisoned here."

Then they were back on the horse, galloping towards the front gate and –

Adrien definitely preferred heights when he was the one in charge.

"Adrien, hold on!" Ladybug's shout was muted by distance. _Right on time._

Holding on sounds like a good plan, he thought, watching Paris fall away beneath them as the horse's powerful wings beat the air. But he couldn't just sit here with his eyes closed - Ladybug was expecting Chat Noir at any moment, and he wasn't about to disappoint her.

The sword.

Adrien shifted on La Défenseure's shoulder, straining towards the leather sheath strapped around her waist. His fingertips brushed the cold metal of the pommel. Almost.

He stretched, shoulder protesting, as the pegasus banked sharply to avoid Ladybug's yoyo...

And slipped into the empty air.

The valkyrie's eyes widened as she grabbed for him but missed by centimeters. Adrien briefly contemplated the implications as her expression shifted from surprise to fear to rage before his own mind caught up (or rather, down) to his body.

Which was falling.

Quickly.

 _Well, it's not the worst thing that's happened to me today._

Ladybug watched in horror as the distant figure of Adrien plummeted towards the earth.

Without pausing to think, she flung her yoyo up to the school roof and leaped, flipping midair to face the falling boy. If she wrapped the wire around there, and there, that should give her enough force... And then she was flying upwards, launched like a pebble from a slingshot.

They met in midair. Ladybug wrapped her arms around Adrien and curled around his body protectively as she braced for landing. Her suit would keep her from harm, but this momentum could be fatal for an unprotected human. They hit the pavement together and slid several meters before Ladybug rolled to her feet and ran for the school entrance, still carrying Adrien, as La Défenseure swooped towards them. They crashed through the doors, followed by a shriek of rage from the akumatized victim as her horse shied away, its wingspan too large to pursue the teenagers inside.

Ducking under the staircase that led up to the principal's office, Ladybug froze, listening for the click of approaching hooves. Nothing, for now.

"Er... Thank you," came a quiet voice by her shoulder.

Adrien.

Whom she was still carrying, bridal-style. _Shit I'm holding Adrien why am I still HOLDING ADRIEN I should -_

She dropped him.

He broke his fall easily as he hit the floor, years of fencing practice kicking in, and stared up at the spotted heroine in awe. Green eyes met blue, and they both flushed deeply before a crash from upstairs startled them back to the outside world.

 _"I should-"_

 _"I'm so sorry-"_

They both cut off mid-sentence. Adrien glanced at the ceiling, which was beginning to shake.

"I'm just gonna... go..." He forced himself to say. Things were getting serious, and Ladybug needed backup - Chat Noir had better make an appearance soon.

"Uh. Me too. You know. Hero-ing and. Er. Stuff." Fighting the urge to slam her face into the stair's metal supports as she heard herself stutter over the words, Marinette took off towards the failing roof, watching Adrien duck into a nearby classroom out of the corner of her eye. At least he would be safe now.

 _Chat, where are you?_

He dropped down behind Ladybug on the roof as she faced down the valkyrie and her steed.

"Sorry I'm late, my Lady. I was a bit _cat up_ in something."

She rolled her eyes. Business first, banter later.

"Chat, I can't find the akuma. La Defénseure won't let me get close enough to see where it might be."

He scratched his ear. "What triggered the transformation?"

"No idea, but she had Adr- a boy earlier, as a captive. He got away, but I think she's still looking for him. It was a nightmare."

Chat Noir narrowed his eyes against the sunlight and squinted up at the figures circling far above.

"I think that's a stallion, actually," he commented. Where did Nathalie get a horse? Right - Nathalie. There's no way Chat would know the face behind La Defénseure without even seeing her up close. "Any ideas about who the victim is? That might give us a clue."

Ladybug shook her head in frustration. "We need to get near her first, and before she gets tired of just looking for him and decides to change her strategy."

Then a familiar gleam shone in her eyes, and Chat couldn't help but grin widely as he watched an idea spark to life.

"How do you feel about flying, kitty?"

And _that_ was how he found himself dangling over the street from his claws, grasping the end of his baton.

"Ready?" Ladybug called from above him, bracing herself as she prepared to pull down on her end of the metal staff, which formed a makeshift seesaw whose fulcrum rested on the cement corner of the roof.

"Prepared for launch!" Chat kept his eyes on La Défenseure, still circling above, and held his breath as he waited for the perfect moment.

 _"Now!"_

"Roger that!" Ladybug slammed the baton down, catapulting her partner into the sky. He soared, preparing for impact just before he slammed into Nathalie, knocking her off the winged horse. Chat toppled over the animal's back, but slowed his momentum by clutching a crude stirrup. La Défenseure tumbled below him as he scrambled up onto the leather saddle, and he saw Ladybug snap the villain out of the air with her yoyo. Victory was –

\- going to be a rough ride. The horse made his objections to the change of riders clear, bucking and twisting under Chat, who held onto the thick mane for dear life.

" _Whoa,_ Peggy. Mind if I call you Peggy?" Peggy tried to bite his new passenger. "I'll take that as a yes. Anyway, it's time for a detour." With that, he grabbed the reins and guided the snorting horse towards Ladybug and La Défenseure, where the fight wasn't going well. La Défenseure knocked Ladybug's yoyo away easily with her sword each time it was thrown, and had begun to advance towards the heroine, a cruel smile on her face.

"Chat!" She dodged a fierce swipe from the blade, "I need a distraction!"

"Don't worry, I'm here to _bale_ you out!" He wrestled with Peggy for a moment, and they shot towards the valkyrie, drawing her attention away from Ladybug, who took the chance to flip away, landing safely on the opposite side of the roof.

"LUCKY CHARM!" she shouted. _"Une pomme?!_ What do I…"

 _La Défenseure_ _doesn't have glasses,_ Chat noted. _But she does have –_

"The akuma's in her helmet!" He narrowly avoided a sudden fierce charge from the villain, who was now between the heroes. "I don't mean to rush you, my Lady, but I'm about to get sent to the school _Norse!_ "

 _There._ He saw her body straighten, comprehension dawning. She'd figured out the puzzle.

"Here, horsey-horsey!" She tossed the fruit towards them. Peggy's eyes went wide when he saw the treat, and he lunged at it, knocking La Défenseure to the ground. Ladybug snatched the helm and crushed it against the concrete, capturing the akuma that fluttered up from the ruined iron.

White wings flapped as she released the purified insect. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" La Défenseure's furs and armor disappeared, leaving Nathalie behind. Peggy shrank to a cheerful Golden Retriever, who licked the assistant's face as she sat up.

 _Nathalie has a dog? Why didn't I know that?_

" _Chaton,_ you didn't use cataclysm…" Ladybug's face was determined.

" _Follow that butterfly."_

Adrien hated bugs, even though he hadn't felt one way or another about them before running across Paris after one. Chat was crouched on the brick ledge of an apartment complex, gasping for breath. He had followed the butterfly northwest for several kilometers, all the way into the 18th arrondissement, before it slipped out of sight as they approached Montmartre. They didn't look like it, but butterflies were fast... Or at least the magical demon varieties were.

After losing the trail, Chat had prowled around the neighborhood on the off chance that he would find something relevant, like an ominous, decrepit old building labeled " _Papillon's Lair."_ Unfortunately, he had no such luck, and turned back towards his home in the 5th district. There was no point in trying to contact Ladybug, who had no doubt long since detransformed, but he called the bug phone anyway. There was no response. He saved the coordinates in his baton for later reference, before ducking into an empty subway station to detransform and take a train home.

Adrien's phone vibrated wildly as he climbed the stairs of the station near Collège Françoise Dupont. He hadn't wanted to risk calling the Gorilla for a ride, fearing that the distant location might raise too many difficult questions. And of course there was no service underground, and his mobile had just begun to receive messages from the last two hours.

 _11 missed calls_

 _8 voice messages_

 _14 text messages_

 _6 emails_

 _53 notifications (misc)_

He checked on Plagg, who was still asleep in his pocket, and opened the voicemail just as the phone began to buzz in his hand.

 _Incoming call._

"Father?"

" _Adrien!_ Are you safe? Where have you been?" Gabriel's words were rushed, his voice tight with anxiety. Adrien gaped in shock for a moment, unused to his dad's concern. The Agreste elder had never checked up on his son after an attack before... but then again, Adrien had never been hauled all over Paris by a supervillain as a civilian before. It was probably all over the news by now.

"I'm fine! I'm, um, at the school now."

"Stay there - we're coming to pick you up."

A minute later, the silver car pulled up in front of where Adrien was standing. The door was flung open and Gabriel emerged, looking uncharacteristically ruffled. The tall man rushed towards his son, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders as he looked him over.

"Adrien… why weren't you in class?"

Marinette lay on her bed, staring blankly at her white stucco ceiling. It had been a Day. That's the only way she could describe it. First, her heart had leapt into her throat when she realized the supervillain had Adrien - and this time, there was no chance it was an illusion. When he fell...

Marinette didn't usually struggle with the pressure of being Ladybug anymore. Confidence had come slowly, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The months had built up a strong foundation, reinforced by each success. Ladybug knew herself: skills, flaws and all.

At least, she'd _thought_ so. The last few weeks had shaken her, and Marinette hadn't yet come to terms with her role in the Volpina situation, or the helplessness that took over her when Adrien was involved. Normally, Ladybug's love was her strength; the thought of her parents, her friends, Alya, of Paris as a whole, kept her fighting even in the darkest moments... but the model seemed to be Ladybug's weakness, a bad luck charm she refused to relinquish.

It was ironic. Chat Noir, the symbol of bad luck and literal embodiment of destruction, always managed to turn chance in Ladybug's favor. Adrien, as close to sunshine as a human could be, left her stumbling, failing, risking everything as logic abandoned her - he replaces Ladybug with plain old Marinette (though she knew better than to let Tikki hear that).

Marinette was startled from her melancholy thoughts as her phone chimed, displaying a text from Alya.

 _"Hey girl - Adrien texted me back. He's fine, just tired. 3"_

Alya was the best. She was literally best girlfriend in the world. Marinette didn't know how she would have gotten through the last few months without her constant support in everything from design contests to her crush (while never showing a hint of jealousy. It didn't even seem to occur to her - she knew Marinette had enough love to go around). Sure, it could be hard to feign detachment when Alya was telling her all about the latest exploits of Ladybug and Chat Noir (especially regarding evidence suggesting they were, or were not, dating), and the flashes of guilt over her secret sometimes flared like physical pain when Alya took her hand or kissed her cheek. But the girl was _amazing_. Even if learning who Ladybug was would hurt her, she would understand. Eventually.

It had been easier to hide recently. An increase in akuma attacks, and Alya's budding relationship with Nino, had cut their time together outside of school.

The momentary distraction faded, and Marinette slammed her face into a soft pillow as she reread the text.

 _I can't believe I rescued Adrien. And I - I just dropped him. On the ground. Just. Dropped._

In his study, Gabriel Agreste fought the urge to bellow in frustration. Everything had been planned perfectly, his actions calculated to the very minute… First, Nathalie's irrational outburst had presented him with an unmissable opportunity to draw Chat Noir and Ladybug close, allowing the fashion designer to observe them, searching for weaknesses to exploit. He had waited for half an hour, predicting that the agitated assistant would immediately leave the mansion, probably to drive back to her apartment across the Seine. The chaos created as she transformed would draw the superheroes, who would follow her back to the Agreste residence, and Gabriel himself, when she sought her revenge.

In the beginning, everything had gone according to his meticulous plans. He drove himself to the abandoned church that held his butterflies and sent out the little akuma, encouraging La Défenseure to take vengeance, and then used the power of instantaneous transportation given by the peacock miraculous to bring him back to the mansion's gardens – inside would have been safer, but he didn't want to risk aggravating Adrien's severe allergy to feathers with his transformed state - as the enraged Valkyrie rode towards him, and returned to his study to wait for her arrival. Gabriel was confident that Ladybug, at least, would not be far behind, as she seemed to have a soft spot for his son. He would let her worry about Adrien – his son was safely away from the action, attending his fencing lesson in the school gym.

Or at least, he was _supposed_ to be. The lesson had been cancelled after a water pipe burst, and Adrien had returned home several hours earlier than expected. La Défenseure, free of Papillon's influence, spotted him and decided that her revenge would be better accomplished by taking the boy. Gabriel's last sight of them had been the horse, rider and additional passenger disappearing through the main entrance and taking flight.

They were over the gate mere seconds before Ladybug burst into the room, but Gabriel Agreste didn't have time to manipulate her into revealing information. Instead, he brusquely pointed her in the direction La Défenseure and her captive had left, before sealing himself in his office to attempt to regain control of the rogue akuma.

Adrien was unharmed and returned home safely… but this could not be allowed to happen again. Gabriel's jaw clenched. His plans were perfect – but they needed to be better.

Marinette lay awake half the night with vague worry gnawing at the back of her mind before giving up on the possibility of sleep. Several minutes later, Ladybug crept onto the balcony, checked for any watching eyes and swung away across the rooftops. Below her, Paris was as quiet as it ever got; an occasional pedestrian bustled along beneath the pools of light cast by streetlamps and figures in sparkling dresses hugged themselves against the night's chill, reeking of stale beer and sweat as they emerged from the now-closing clubs and bars. She spotted a group of red-eyed tourists lugging overstuffed bags as they waited for the crossing light to change at a vacant intersection. One of the men peered at a stack of plane tickets, struggling to read them in the gloom. Marinette heard the familiar rumble of suitcases rolling along rough stones before she was gone again, flying through the darkness.

On a whim, she unhooked her yoyo and called Chat. Her partner had no more business than she did in roaming the city as night began to fade gently into dawn, but the blond boy seemed to have as much trouble sleeping as Marinette.

"I thought it was birds that called when the sun rose, not ladybugs." He smirked, and she saw that the rims of his eyes were red. The color contrasted well with his eyes, the green sclera and irises appearing brighter within the black mask. "What are you doing out so early on this fine morning?"

She groaned, exhaustion weighing down her body. "Stop being so chipper, kitty. We're not all nocturnal. I couldn't sleep, and thought I'd check up on how you did with that butterfly."

"Not so well." His voice was suddenly serious, all traces of mirth gone. "I followed it to Montmartre before it got away. No idea where it went after that, but it looked to be flying towards Sacré-Cœur." Chat Noir's ears drooped slightly as he sighed deeply.

"Hey," she said gently, "you did good. We have a place to start looking now." Chat perked up slightly at her words; her partner, for all his cockiness, had a tendency to shrink into himself when he thought he'd failed. Even when he'd done better than anyone else could have. Marinette hadn't expected him to trace the insect back to its master – she hadn't even been sure it was possible to follow them, and knew that even if it was, she would never have been able to keep up. Ladybug could beat Chat Noir in a race seven times out of ten (they'd tested it on another sleepless night), but tracking was an entirely different matter. He had a cat's eye for motion and unparalleled ability to hunt down prey.

"Can you meet there tonight, maybe ten? I want to take another look around the area. Maybe we'll find something." His voice was determined. A moment later her yoyo beeped and a set of coordinates appearing on the screen.

Marinette quickly went over the day's schedule in her head. Her night was free, and she might even be able to fit in a nap after school.

"Sounds good."

"Hey, Ladybug…" His words were hesitant.

"Yes?"

"Get some sleep, will you?"

"I will. You too, _chaton._ "

"Goodnight, my Lady."

The next day was _not_ fun. Marinette finally returned to her bed and fell asleep an hour before the alarm began to beep. The world felt glassy and smooth, threatening to slip away at any moment like a bar of wet soap. She brushed her teeth, oddly entranced by the cold mint against her tongue, before Sabine called her down to breakfast.

School wasn't much better. She fell asleep twice in class, once on Alya's warm shoulder and once with her forehead against the hard wood desk. Madame Bustier roused her gently the first time, and in the second instance she was woken by Ms. Mendeleiev hitting the table sharply with a ruler and shouting. Marinette nodded dully and apologized to both teachers, fighting back yawns. The other students watched her curiously. A few – Nino, Rose and Nathanäel – were obviously concerned, while the rest appeared to be indifferent or amused, except for Adrien, who didn't look any better than Marinette felt. Not that she could blame him; it wasn't every day you were kidnapped by a Valkyrie who also happened to be your father's top assistant.

Cold flowed down Marinette's spine as her worries that had hounded her last night rushed back. She was suddenly completely awake with adrenaline and fear pounding in her veins. An akuma attacking the Agreste mansion, mere days after she found the book of Miraculous holders. The book that Adrien had been carrying the day Lila became Volpina, a link that had caused Master Fu's face to go tight with anxiety – no, fear - when she told him.

 _There's no way this is a coincidence._

Her thoughts raced. Was this why Fu had pushed her to close in on Papillon? What did the Agrestes have to do with it? How did Adrien get that book?

Had Adrien and his father become targets?

That night, Chat Noir spotted Ladybug sitting under a tree. The branches blocked the light of a nearby streetlamp, obscuring the telltale red and black of her suit from passersby, but even without his night vision he recognized the familiar outline of her hair in an instant.

"Good evening, my Lady."

She accepted his greeting with a nod. Her face was pale and pinched, the lines of stress and exhaustion clearly visible. He was about to suggest that they call it off and meet again the next night – after all, this had waited for nearly eight months, so surely it could be put off for one more night – but she started to speak before he could formulate the words.

"I looked at the numbers earlier. The akumas usually reach their victims no more than an hour after the initial event, but usually within thirty minutes. The shortest was reported by bystanders within twenty-five minutes, though we have to take into account errors in the witnesses' timekeeping, and you said you followed the butterfly for…"

"About twenty minutes."

"Then we're close. Taking into account the speed you were traveling, we can't be more than two or three minutes away, assuming the information about previous attacks is accurate." Ladybug's blue eyes were serious behind her mask, and once again, he wanted to ask why this was so urgent _now._ The akumas weren't getting stronger, even if their attacks had become slightly more frequent… it wasn't enough to leave her shoulders this tense with fear, hunched in anxiety as she turned away from him to look up towards the basilica.

But just like last time, he didn't let the words become real. Ladybug knew about his father's book and had mentioned it several times. She even knew that he – Adrien, that is – had been in possession of it before it was lost. Chat didn't dig too deeply into this, assuming that Master Fu told her. The guardian had spoken with him too, advising the teenager to pay close attention to Gabriel Agreste. Adrien had followed the old man's suggestion, which led to him eavesdropping as Gabriel and Nathalie argued. He decided that he didn't want to bring up the discussions with Fu. It came too close to revealing his identity, which she'd made clear long ago was not an option… and Adrien couldn't bring himself to cast more suspicion on his father when the inevitable questions arose. He'd seen it in Master Fu's face, though the guardian hadn't said a word about it directly, and Chat couldn't bear to see it in Ladybug's too.

He winked at her instead.

"Well, good thing I brought a net. Let's go catch some butterflies."


	2. Chapter 2

"I think we've found our _pray,_ my Lady." Chat tore his eyes away from the church and ignoring the anxiety that gripped his lungs in icy fingers. Was this really where Papillon hid as he terrorized the city?

"Talk about stereotypes." Ladybug studied the stone building intently. It didn't loom so much as it squatted, settled into the ground like a toad, except for the single remaining tower that stretched towards the crescent moon. "The location fits, and there aren't too many people around…"

They stood together in silence, unable to will themselves closer to the dark structure, but equally powerless to move.

Finally, a soft beeping broke their trance, and Ladybug touched her right earring with a small frown. As she lifted her hand, Chat saw the exhaustion pulling at her eyes. He had no doubt that her mask, like his, hid dark circles not even the best stylist could cover. An akuma, a sleepless night and a long day had left the two young heroes in no shape to fight anything tougher than a pillow. Adrien stifled a yawn at the thought of his bed.

"Well, it's not like we could do anything more than snore at him tonight." Ladybug chuckled at his words and he could see relief and frustration fighting in her eyes. "Wow. You must be tired if you laughed at _that."_

Her earrings beeped again, and she groaned. _Now I know she doesn't live near –_ he cut the thought off sharply. _Stop it_ , _she doesn't want to tell me and I'm not going to guess._

"There's a subway stop down the hill, near where we met up," he said instead. "I'll wait here for a few minutes so you can leave."

"Thanks _._ " She turned to go, then paused. "I need to talk to my kwami about… this. Can I call you tomorrow morning at 10?"

 _Saturday. What do I have tomorrow… shit, a fitting. Of course._ "Can we make it 9? My schedule is a bit of a _cat_ astrophe."

"Ugh, mornings. You'd better not be so chipper this time, _chaton."_ With that, and a third reminder from her miraculous, she cast her yoyo towards the trees and soared down the hill. Part of his mind screamed for him to follow her, _find out, this is your chance,_ but Adrien stayed rooted to the spot. Whatever Plagg said, however much he wanted to know, he would _never_ do that to her. And anyway… if curiosity didn't kill the cat, Ladybug sure as hell would.

He wasn't ready to leave yet, either. Instead, he crept along just outside the rusting wrought iron fence, a lithe shadow against the darkness, to find a small courtyard nestled behind the tumbling stones. A messy but well-maintained garden sprawled across the ground, and even at night, the scents of various flowers tickled his sensitive nose.

 _I guess even magical butterflies have to eat._

Chat Noir didn't dare get any closer – if this was anything like the Agreste mansion, countless security cameras would pick up every move of any potential intruder, and alert the owner – but instead planted his baton against the soft dirt and extended it. He rose into the air and peered at the tower. It was in better shape than the rest of the old church. A large rose window… no, a _butterfly_ window, was set into the structure. The space behind it was dark.

Adrien had seen enough. He slid down as the metal pole collapsed, sparing one last look down at the rest of Paris. His eyes, sharp from the transformation, automatically picked out the district where his school and house lay, pinpointing the mansion. His father would undoubtedly be asleep at this hour – it was just past midnight. Nathalie must be at home, with her dog _(really, she had a dog?)_.

The thoughts he had been wrestling with for the past week rose again, but this time, he didn't push them away. Chat needed to protect Ladybug. Adrien had to help his father.

Either Gabriel Agreste was caught up in this mess, or he _was_ the mess.

…

The next morning was clear with a slight chill hanging in the spring air. Marinette, already transformed, called Chat Noir from her position atop the school. She had been tempted to call from the comfort of her own bedroom, before remembering that Chat had been to her home twice before: once while hiding Kim from Animan, and the other when he came to "protect" Marinette from Le Dessinateur. It was a small risk, but she wasn't ready to give him even that much of a hint.

At precisely 9 am, she called her partner. He picked up immediately, and laughed as she struggled to hide a yawn.

"Good morning, sleepybug! Did you dream about me?" He grinned widely, showing canines just slightly too long and sharp for a normal human. Marinette could see a sore on his lower lip that hadn't been there last night - he'd been biting it.

" _Chipper_. And no, I didn't." She _had,_ actually; her dream self had watched Chat collapse to the floor as an unseen Papillon laughed from the darkness. Marinette shook her head to push the nightmare away.

"I talked to Tikki last night. She says... she thinks we're right. She could sense something when we were near the building, even through the transformation." Marinette forced herself to relay the information. With each word, the prospect of Papillon, of actually confronting their nemesis, seemed to become more real.

"Plagg too. He also said we should move fast - Papillon might already know we were there. If he could afford to rent or buy the entire building, he probably has some sort of security. I tried to look up the ownership, but it was unlisted." Chat's face was tense, though he was still smiling, as if his expression was more of a reflex than a reflection of his emotions.

He continued, "There's more, some good news and some bad. Papillon has never been much of a fighter himself, as your kwami probably told you, and he might not be able to send out an akuma fast enough even if he knows we're there. But..."

Marinette watched him inhale deeply, bracing himself against the wall he leaned against.

"But Plagg thinks he might have access to another miraculous."

Shit. Marinette closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself not to pass out.

"Which one? Can he use it? How did you find out?"

"Peacock, maybe, and... I- I don't know." The blond looked suddenly nauseated.

"Chat... What's up?" The conversation had gone from moderately normal (by their standards) to seriously strange.

Chat was good at hiding his feelings (when he tried to), but by now Ladybug knew his tells, and if this could help them against Papillon at all, she had to push.

"Ehhh," he scratched behind his ear sheepishly - another hint. "Getting ready to take on the ultimate supervillain?"

"Something's bothering you. If it might help us, or you want to talk about it..."

"Damn. When I said I was trans, I didn't mean transparent." His grin dropped in the middle of the joke. "I... well. It's related to the supervillain thing, anyway."

She nodded, encouraging Chat silently. The words obviously pained him.

"I think... I might know who Papillon is."

…

Papillon glowered down at Paris through the intricate window as his butterflies – each one so full of potential, all of it _wasted_ – floated through the stale air. The bright Saturday morning had faded into a dull afternoon, and grey skies promised a storm.

A flicker of motion on the security feed drew his attention. The proximity alarm was flashing red as two masked figures approached the front entrance. The camera embedded under the tympanum recorded Chat Noir as he smashed the rusting hinges with the end of his baton and looked up, straight into the lens, and smirked. He followed Ladybug as she walked – no, _stalked_ – through the opening created as the heavy wooden door twisted away from the ruined metal and fell to the floor.

 _Ah,_ _so they knew he was here_. A frustrating, if not unexpected, development; however, he had prepared for this eventuality. The scent of rain and damp earth filtered through the window as it opened and a single pair of wings fluttered against the rising wind.

…

Amaury Chappelle, retired horticulturalist and current caretaker of the crumbling yet beautiful _Église des Anges,_ was startled awake by his phone as he dozed in the small gardener's shed nestled beside the rose trellis.

"Monsieur Chappelle, I was not aware you were being paid to _lounge around_ as delinquents break into my property!"

Amaury bolted from his chair and into the garden as his employer's sharp, icy voice cut through the lingering drowsiness. "My apologies, sir, I will address the situation right away!"

A pause. The sneer was almost audible.

"Don't bother yourself. For all your references, you have proved to be supremely incompetent. Please remove yourself from the premises." A dial tone replaced the words before he could reply.

The shocked groundkeeper leaned against the white wooden lattice that supported his carefully cultivated briars. _Reine des Violettes_ , grown from a cutting given to him by a lover nigh on three decades ago. He would have to leave them behind, vulnerable to the insects and disease he'd fought away for so many years. Amaury gently curled his fingers around the base of one perfect bloom and closed his eyes, ignoring the thorns biting into his palm. He didn't notice as a dark butterfly sank into the petals.

A cruel voice whispered into his mind.

" _How unfair. I am Le Papillon, and I have an offer for you_ … Botaniste _."_

…

Ladybug glanced around the hall as her eyes adjusted to the dimness. She was facing what had been the sanctuary, but the room was completely empty except for a thick layer of grime that crusted the floor – it looked like the pews and altar had been removed years before. Dust particles in the musty air danced and glittered in the weak light that filtered through the broken lancet windows… and gasped as vines began to twist around the ragged edges. An akuma had found another victim

 _That answers one question._

The next instant, the apse exploded outward as yet more stems ripped the stones from their mortar, causing the old wall to crumble. In its place stood a massive form made up of vines, which writhed and twisted through the air. The tangle moved forward with a groan, echoing the trees outside that had begun to creak in the wind.

Chat checked around them, making sure the path was clear before pushing her towards a small door set into the northeastern corner.

"Papillon's in the tower. Go, before he leaves! I'll hold this guy off."

Ladybug hesitated, but her partner was right. She bolted across the church floor, dodging thorny vines that whipped towards her. Several were knocked away from her as she ran by Chat, who called across as she began to climb the spiraling stairs.

"Don't worry, my Lady! His _bark_ is worse than his bite."

She was about three meters up when a cry rose from the battlefield below. Without thinking, Marinette turned on her heel and leapt down, reemerging to see Chat trapped in a snarl of flora that was creeping up his body. His suit prevented the thorns, about ten centimeters long and still growing, from sinking in, but his face twisted in pain as their needle-sharp points pressed against his skin. She threw her yoyo and the string wrapped around the creature's trunk, but her weapon was quickly pulled into the growing knots and lost from sight.

A low rumble grated above her, and Marinette dodged as a section of the roof collapsed under the pressure of roots that had sunk into the vaulted ceiling. She escaped the worst of the rubble, but was knocked to the floor by a stray branch reaching through the new hole. Ladybug rolled away from the aggressive plant, choking on the cloud of moldy dust the architectural adjustments had thrown up, and lifted her eyes just in time to see the akuma rip Chat Noir's ring away from his finger, the only part of his body not hidden by viciously curving spines.

A flash. The thorny vines slithered back, tips bloody, and a boy was tossed away from the monster to land limply on the debris near her feet. The monster paused, considering further prey, before it squeezed through the door behind them as Marinette dropped to her knees, gently lifting his head away from the wreckage. A small black figure twisted through the air towards them. She didn't shift her gaze from her partner's face as tears began to form.

Adrien.

Dull shock hit her like a wave, drowning out the confusion and roar of her thoughts. His green eyes blinked once as she pressed against the wetness soaking his black shirt, trying to stop the blood pouring from the deep gashes. The tiny cat hovered before her – Plagg, his kwami, the part of her mind doused in cold rationality supplied – his face twisted in grief.

"Go. Fix it," he croaked, before vanishing as Adrien's pulse flickered one last time against her fingers.

Ladybug lowered her best friend gently to the floor and stood. Her face was completely blank, belying the tears that still streamed down her cheeks, as she turned towards the tower.


	3. Chapter 3

There was no Marinette left in her at that moment; it felt as though the girl had been burned out of her body by grief and pain and left lying next to Adrien on the cold floor. It was just Ladybug who leapt up the stone steps and into the atrium crowning the tower in time to watch a tendril, surprisingly tender and green, extend from the writhing mass of thorns and deposit Chat Noir's red-stained ring into a gloved hand.

"Thank you, Botaniste. Welcome, Ladybug. It's an honor to be visited by the savior of Paris." Papillon's voice echoed against the empty walls. Hundreds of white wings quivered.

"Return the miraculous." The command fell from her lips like drops of ice as she aimed her yoyo at the masked villain. To the side, the plant akuma ripped a hole in the tower wall and began to creep towards the ground.

"I'm afraid that is impossible, dear girl. Now, I must be on my way… and I believe you have an appointment with my little akuma, if you wish to help your friend."

Ladybug threw her weapon; Papillon deflected it gracefully with his cane, sending it off course with a mere flick every time. _Not much of a fighter? Thanks, Tikki._

"Of course, you could choose to pursue me – that would be the _rational_ decision, after all. But, as I'm sure you've realized, your lovely little cure has limits…" His laughter was hollow. "How cold is your heart, Ladybug?"

She froze. A choice: She could prevent their nemesis from gaining yet another weapon to aid his hunt for power, or she could save Adrien. One corner of his thin lips curled as she met his eyes.

" _Cada, transform me."_ Colors slipped around his body like an oil slick, dark and glistening in the weak light, embossing brilliant feathers into his suit. He did have the peacock miraculous after all, then. As the glimmer traveled across his face, his face was revealed for an instant.

 _Gabriel Agreste,_ with his son's blood on his hands _._ Ladybug refused to so much as twitch. In the back of her mind, the remainder of Marinette screamed that she _couldn't_ let him know she had seen – and she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of recognition.

" _Take flight."_ He vanished.

…

Botaniste had reached the garden and was weaving a hedge of thorns around the courtyard. Ladybug jumped, rolling as she hit the wet earth, and landed in a crouch to face him as he drew back against a white trellis covered in pink flowers.

" _Miiiine. I will protect."_ His voice was the sound of wind through a forest, a susurrus of dry whispers forced from the dark depths of his body. Thickets of briar grew up between them, forcing her to back up by several steps. She peered at the supervillain: a single point of light was glowing behind the thorns, where a human's heart would lie.

Ladybug didn't have time to play games, and her heart had no more energy to sympathize with the victim – she was going to end this, _now._

"Lucky charm!"

A can of hairspray fell into her outstretched hand, and she calculated her options, detached, as if watching the fight from a distance.

Sticks and dead leaves, raked into a pile against the dilapidated fence. Stone blocks, their crumbled edges rough, and chunks of broken rock lying on the ground below.

She flipped over a vine that was sneaking towards her ankle and picked up a loose stone before grabbing a handful of twigs. They were as dry as paper; it was good that the rain had not yet started.

Ladybug struck the rock against a rusted metal bar in the fence, letting sparks fall onto the powdery leaves, which quickly burst into flame. She thrust one end of the twigs into the fire before raising her torch and hairspray.

 _Whooosh._ A wave of heat seared her face as the makeshift flamethrower roared.

Botaniste flinched away as Ladybug approached, unwilling to risk the thorns against her flame. She steadily drew nearer, kicking away the grass the pulled at her ankles. A groan emanated from his branches as she pushed the fire into the center of his 'body,' forcing the flora to pull away from the glowing rose.

The akuma fluttered out as the flower crumbled to ashes, and she snatched it from the air to purify. As soon as the white wings emerged, she threw the red and black can into the air and called the miraculous cure.

Usually the two words tasted like victory, but this time they filled her throat like poison, bitter and harsh. What if it wasn't enough? If she'd taken too long, or there was just too much damage… Theoretically, Ladybug could fix _anything,_ but in practice, it weakened as she did. And, as far as she knew, she'd never used it to turn back death before.

…

The moment the charm left her hands, Ladybug darted towards the nearest entrance into the church, leaving the confused old man kneeling by the flower bed. The gaping holes left by Le Bontaniste's rampage had been immediately sealed, cutting off the most direct pathway, so she used a small wooden door that was partially obscured by the once more inanimate roses. It opened into a small alcove set into the choir, directly across from the formerly collapsed corner where Adrien had slumped against the rubble.

Marinette's breath caught in her throat as he pushed himself up, eyes bleary and unfocused. She dropped down beside him, ignoring the first note of warning from her earrings.

"I-I'm sorry, he was too fast, I couldn't –" Adrien's – _Chat Noir's_ – voice was harsh with tears. Marinette wrapped her arms around his trembling shoulders, unable to speak, and he sank into her embrace. Her partner was still for a moment, then tried to stand; he stumbled and fell to his knees once more. His eyes were wild and unfocused, pupils huge, as she reached to steady him. Fear filled her throat – was he still hurt? Was the cure not enough?

"We have to go get him. Before he leaves," he mumbled.

Marinette found her voice. " _Shh_ , no, it's ok. It's ok, Chat. We can go home now." _Home, to the father who left his son bleeding out on the floor._ There was no way she was going to take him back to the cold Agreste mansion.

"It's over? Wh-where is my ring? It - it must have fallen off. I need to find it. Plagg? Plagg, where are you? _Plagg!"_ Adrien's words were clear for a moment as lucidity briefly returned, spurred by panic.

Pain lanced through her chest. "I'm so sorry, _chaton."_

He buried his face against her shoulder and a muffled sob tore through the air.

Another beep – she was out of time.

Marinette didn't spare a thought towards concealing her identity from her partner, but the shrewd Ladybug dimly remembered the wall of security feeds covering one side of the atrium. She hid her face in Adrien's blond hair as the transformation swept through her and quickly pulled up the hood of her dark jacket. Tikki materialized from the earrings and settled under the fabric, nestling against Marinette's neck. As long as she kept her face down, the shadows should keep the details hidden. It was quite dark now, and thunder rolled over the hill as raindrops started to fall.

Adrien stared at her in bewilderment. "Marinette? What are you doing here – it's not safe, there's an akuma – have you seen Ladybug? Is she ok?"

"Adrien… Tikki, what's wrong? Why is he – what's going on?"

The kwami sounded tired, and for once, Marinette could believe the small creature was thousands of years old. "He was torn from Plagg. The connection between us and our chosen is strong, and involuntary severing has… effects."

Marinette's heart stuttered. "Will he…"

"He needs rest. He'll recover." Her tone was still grim, but the heroine decided to take one thing at a time for now.

She gently settled Adrien's arm across her shoulders, pulling him to his feet. He leaned heavily on her for support as she guided him towards the exit, and she was grateful for the extra strength that remained even in her normal state.

By the time they stepped outside, raindrops were falling hard and fast, and both teenagers were soaked and shivering long before they reached the subway station. Luckily, the train was warm and dry, and they dropped into two empty seats as other passengers eyed the teenagers with dull curiosity. The carriage wasn't full, only occupied by a handful of other people; mostly young adults traveling into the city center to drink their Saturday night away, along with a few older professionals in business suits and ties.

It was a long ride to Master Fu's flat. Adrien dozed against her shoulder, a frown creasing his forehead, drifting in and out of consciousness. Several times he insisted they turn back to find Plagg, and Marinette's heart ached with sympathy as she stroked his hair gently.

Finally, they stumbled onto the old guardian's street. He opened the door and ushered the teenagers inside.

…

Gabriel paced the length of his study, stopping in front of his wife's portrait. His mind was calm, almost numb, as he waited for the pieces to fall into place, but his body betrayed him. The stolen ring flashed from black to silver and a kwami emerged and its hostile green eyes immediately fixed on the designer. He ignored it, unable to tear his eyes from the screen as the limp form of his son was obscured by the healing spell. He watched as the remote security feed displayed on the computer showed Adrien staggering from the _Église des Anges,_ supported by a small girl whose face was shrouded by an oversized jacket. Finally, the pair of 'heroes' stepped out of the cameras' view, and Gabriel turned to his new miraculous and its spirit.

 _A cat_ – not surprising, if mildly distasteful. He had never been fond of the creatures. It hovered over his desk, where Nooroo and Cada lay exhausted against the smooth mahogany. Gabriel had not bothered to feed them yet.

"Hello." He extended a hand towards the feline. "Plagg, I believe? It's long past time we were introduced."

The next stage of his plan had been reached, and Gabriel Agreste did not feel a thing as his long fingers curled around the silver jewelry.

…

Plagg hissed at the man, whose essence felt slimy and chilled. Normally he refrained from such crude displays, but he felt an exception was warranted in this situation.

"If only I had known one of the items I sought was in the possession of a member of my own family… this could have been much simpler." Gabriel's voice was measured and held all the warmth of a dead fish. He continued, "I regret to admit such a failing, but I was led to believe kwami remained within their objects until called upon by a new master."

The magic binding Plagg compelled him to answer to anyone in possession of the ring, but it didn't say anything about being _nice._ "Adrien's connection with me was broken when he died, but it reformed when he was brought back. Would've been easier for you if you'd left him dead – surprised you didn't, at that."

Gabriel's face remained impassive; Plagg could not detect even a flicker of emotion, even when the man began to laugh quietly.

"How obvious it seems now – after the book was stolen, I was so set on protecting my son… but he was the thief, wasn't he." It wasn't a question. "Does he know?"

The kwami, for the first time in hours, felt a spark of hope – one he sorely needed, thousands of years of experience with all the cruelties life could bring or no. That was an easy question, after all. Adrien didn't _know -_ he suspected. Maybe he even believed. But knowledge? Now _that_ was a slippery term.

"Nope." Plagg watched Gabriel for any sign of suspicion; nothing. Of course. The supervillain was too busy monologuing to pay attention to those he believed under his complete control.

"It seems to be fortuitous that Nathalie was unable to complete the arrangements for schooling. I'm sure Adrien will be pleased to remain enrolled, as his withdrawal no longer appears necessary, and it would be _inconvenient_ for him to remain at home, considering the current situation."

Papillon should _really_ know better than to try to herd a cat.

…

The world was a swirl of lights and sounds, pressing against his skin like a kiss, but at the same time it felt a thousand miles away. Adrien had opened his eyes to blue eyes and soft fingers, before they were consumed by a void of loss and the shadowy figures of nightmares that haunted the edges of his vision. They slipped and slithered around his body and melted into cold drops that soaked his hair and clothes. A warm arm supported him, warding away the ghosts. Ladybug – or was it Marinette? He couldn't remember, couldn't focus – was half-carrying him into a warm, bright space. The light pulsed against his eyes and he remembered, tried to turn back

 _had to find Plagg where was he they had to stop why wouldn't she let him go_

Time skipped forward relentlessly, tossing him from moment to moment without bothering to fill in the gaps. He was curled up in a hard plastic seat as a warm hand stroked his hair, watching a rose bloom against a field of black to a chorus of howls, fighting against chains that crushed him under their weight as he grasped for _something_ before falling, falling into the harsh electric lighting as the subway rails rattled and squealed below him. A second later he tripped over wet cobblestones, gravity kept at bay by the girl beside him, as cars roared past leaving, glittering droplets of water hanging in the air.

The world was moving more slowly now, allowing him longer periods of awareness. It almost – _almost -_ made sense when Marinette knocked on a vaguely familiar door, which was opened by an old man in a luridly patterned shirt, but before he could fully grasp anything, the scene dwindled. He found himself under soft blankets as someone pushed a hot mug into his hands. Adrien drank, not tasting the liquid, but grateful nevertheless for the rush of warmth.

He slept, descending into dreams of black cats and thorns and a woman in red.

…

Marinette and Master Fu spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb Adrien. The guardian and his kwami, Wayzz, confirmed what Tikki had said earlier. An involuntary loss of a miraculous was traumatic, especially considering the circumstances, leaving the holder in a state of shock.

"It's as if part of your soul has been ripped away." Fu's voice fell sharply, barely above a whisper. He absently touched the charm tied around his wrist as Wayzz dropped onto the old man's shoulder.

Unshed tears burned her eyes and she clenched her fists. "It's my fault. Adrien – his dad – and without Chat Noir, Papillon can - _It's my fault._ "

Tikki, who was on the table, slowly eating a pastry, lifted her head, but Master Fu replied first.

"Ladybug. There's no blame here to lay here, except on the shoulders of those who choose evil. Mistakes were made – and it was my responsibility to guide you, to prepare you. Chance didn't fall in our favor. But you have not lost, and you have not lost Chat Noir." The words were still sad, but also calm and sure.

Marinette blinked.

"But his ring – "

"Papillon has the ring, that's true, but Chat Noir is still here. Adrien is the black cat, and will be always, with or without Plagg's magic."

…

The next morning, Marinette opened her eyes to a strange room, rousing herself from visions of dulling green eyes and scarlet blood dripping from white butterfly wings. Master Fu had carried a large down comforter into the massage parlor after she haltingly explained that her parents weren't expecting her home until the next day – if they ever decided to call Alya to confirm their 'sleepover,' the young superheroine would be in so much trouble - and she didn't want to leave Adrien by himself. What she _didn't_ say was that she didn't want to be alone either, to watch her partner crumple to the stone floor over and over again in her mind, but Fu seemed to hear her thoughts anyway.

It had been a good choice – Marinette woke throughout the night, gasping, to check on her friend and dispel her constant nightmares. Once again, she turned immediately to the corner where Adrien had fallen asleep on a thick bamboo mat. He was gone, the blanket folded neatly on top of it.

Marinette sat up just as Adrien walked into the room, holding a steaming cup of tea.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up." He was pale, the skin under his eyes stained a deep purple, but at least he was lucid and standing.

"Oh. Uh. No, I was awake." She stood, sore from lying on the wooden floor (and carrying Adrien halfway across Paris), aware of her messy hair and slept-in clothes but unable to care. Somehow, they didn't seem so important at the moment.

"Marinette… Ladybug. Um. Hi?" He blushed.

"Adrien." She started to giggle, unable to process. "I thought I'd be surprised, but…"

He smiled. His face was still sad and ashen, but a sparkle of joy lit his eyes. "I'm not. You're the only person I've ever seen take on Chloé, and that's scarier than any akuma."

…

Several minutes later, they were seated next to each other on the ragged, but comfortable, couch in Master Fu's startlingly large apartment over the massage parlor.

"I believe you two have some things to discuss." He had pressed yet another mug of tea into Marinette's hands before retreating into the kitchen, followed by a yawning Wayzz. Adrien ran his fingers through his hair. All of the new information circled through his thoughts. Marinette was Ladybug. Ladybug sat behind him in class and fell asleep during geography. Plagg was… not gone, he refused to say gone, but definitely absent. And Papillon…

They were silent for a few minutes; both knew what the other was thinking, but neither wanted to acknowledge it. Finally, Adrien spoke.

"I remember. Not much from… after. But before." His voice was level, but he kept his eyes closed tightly. Marinette shifted beside him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder as he fought to keep his breath steady. She didn't reply verbally, but she didn't need to.

Adrien folded his hands to subdue their tremors. "My father…"

"Y-yes. I'm sorry."

It was easier after that. Despite the bleak topics, it felt like a weight had lifted. Adrien had always preferred certainty over the supposed bliss of ignorance, and _not knowing_ was an itch he was never able to sufficiently scratch.

Finally, Marinette raised one last question.

"Where are you going to go?"

He knew she wouldn't like his answer. "Home."

He was right – she didn't, but he wasn't going to budge. Not even when faced with an agitated, stubborn Ladybug.

"Father has what he wants. He won't hurt me." _Again._ "And I don't think he knows you saw his face, so he thinks I don't know who he is. I'm not going to run away; staying close to him, gathering information, is the most valuable thing I can do without my powers. _And_ he has Plagg – I'm not leaving that cat alone, no matter how stinky and annoying he is."

He could see that Marinette still wasn't pleased, but she didn't continue to protest. His arguments were true, and above everything else, he knew that she would never abandon Tikki to the clutches of a monster.

The dawn drifted into a gentle morning, sunny and warm, and it was time for them to leave. Life goes on, despite everything. As they slowly walked down the stairs and to the door, Adrien stopped and turned to Marinette. _Ladybug._

"I love you." It was a simple phrase, but contained multitudes. He didn't have to explain that he loved her, as his best friend, as every romantic poem described with flowery verse, as everything that could _be_ and more. It wasn't a demand, or a question. It just _was,_ a fact as solid and steady as the sunlight that pooled on the street outside.

She didn't answer right away, but instead hugged him as if he would float away without an anchor, before brushing her lips against his cheek in an unspoken promise.

Marinette's voice was soft, yet at the same time as hard as steel as she whispered into his ear.

" _We're going to get your ring back,_ chaton _."_


End file.
